Lesotho Guide
Thaba Bosiu
Thaba Bosiu is Lesotho's most important historical sight, a steep mountain with a large flat top about 20km east of Maseru that was the capital of the kingdom in the days of Moshoeshoe I. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, it is a place of great significance to the people of Lesotho, and the burial ground of the country's kings, and as such is well worth a visit.
Moshoeshoe I trekked with his followers from Butha-Buthe to Thaba Bosiu in July 1824 in a bid to settle somewhere far from the warrior clans then terrorizing the flat plains to the north and west, and somewhere that would be extremely hard for anyone to capture. Thaba Bosiu, with its crown of near-vertical cliffs, good grazing and seven or eight freshwater springs on top, fitted the bill perfectly, and despite numerous attacks, the mountain was never taken.
There is a visitor centre (Mon– Fri 8am–5pm, Sat 8.30am–1pm; 
22357207, 
touristinfo@ltdc.org.ls; M10) at the foot of the mountain, with handicrafts, snacks and information leaflets on offer. An official guide will take you up the steep Khubelu Pass (or "Red Pass"), a cleft in the cliffs marked by two flagpoles, where the Afrikaner General Louw Wepener was killed trying to storm the mountain in 1865 and on to the remains of Moshoeshoe's European house and, further, the royal graveyard.
To get to Thaba Bosiu by car, take Main South Road, turning left at the sign for the National Heath Training Centre and just before the Shell petrol station. Follow this road for 10km, through a dip down into a riverbed where the road is temporarily untarred, and on to a T-junction. Turn left at the junction and Thaba Bosiu is about 3km further along on the right. During the day, frequent minibus taxis run here from Maseru's New Taxi Rank.
There's good accommodation next to the mountain within walking distance of the tourist office at Mmelesi Lodge ( 5886 1116, 
2231 4033; Price: R101-200 with breakfast), one of the best-run Basotho-owned lodges in the country. It has a plush bar and a pleasant restaurant serving moderately priced meat and fish dishes, a braai area, and comfortable en-suite rondavels at the back.